Launching nationwide on Sunday (April 10), 'It's never just winter when it's in Wellington' urges New Zealanders to escape the doldrums of winter with weekends filled with colour, culture and cuisine in the capital.

Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) Chief Executive Chris Whelan says the campaign is designed to showcase just how much fun can be had throughout the compact, walkable city regardless of the weather.

“As well as the great cultural indoors, there's a trail of new eateries, stores and David Jones opening up, along with a great schedule of events and performances. Combine that all with the spirit of this city and the strength of its coffee, and you've got the perfect winter pick-me-up."

"The key challenge was to highlight the specific benefits that a 'winter Welly weekend' brings, while ensuring that the assets and momentum of the umbrella campaign were leveraged to maximum effect,while introducing a rich visual style as unique and sophisticated as Wellington winter itself."

The result is a multi-faceted campaign that launches on TV, cinema and online with four new seasonal video edits, set to a bespoke soundtrack composed an performed by Wellington musician Louis Baker.

Supporting media will then come through across targeted print, outdoor and digital placements, highlighting the importance of winter escapes and why Wellington is the best place for them.

“Wellington’s visitor economy is growing significantly, with domestic commercial guest nights tracking at 7.5% growth in our financial year-to-date. But we're not here to just host guests while the sun shines. Wellington is a great year-round destination and WREDA works closely with industry to drive sustainable business and retain the vibrancy for which this city is well known and loved."

Domestic visitation accounts for around two-thirds of Wellington’s 2.6 million annual commercial guest nights. Between 2010 and 2015 domestic guest nights in Wellington grew by 22% in the period from May-July, compared with 18% across New Zealand as a whole.

"We're making good headway, but it's still a fairly volatile season impacted by external factors such as sporting and business event schedules. It's never just a winter when it's in Wellington is about showing what an incredible time can be had in the city any given weekend."